One area I struggle with is focus. My hyperactive brain likes to overthink, double-check, and question every decision I make. I find it hard to discern the most important activities and lose myself in working on details for too long. I get lost in planning and can spend hours crafting a perfect day, designing my training plan, or mapping out the next steps I need to take to achieve my business goals.
I started a success journal in June this year to keep myself accountable. In it, I note external successes, such as new followers on Medium and Instagram, or when new collaboration opportunities arise. But I also note down the actions I take toward achieving my goals. This is a great motivational tool because I keep wins at the forefront of my mind daily.
However, this daily success journal fails to give me a big-picture overview of what I have accomplished each month. That’s why I decided to start a monthly review. The goal is to keep a monthly record of accomplishments, learnings, and insights. The goals for the next month will be established based on these reviews and in alignment with my overall life vision.
So without further ado, here’s what happened in November:
I ran less and picked up kettlebells again
November’s training didn’t go to plan. I fell ill with an inflammation of the small intestine and a cold – twice. On top of that, I was scheduled for a gastroscopy, colonoscopy, and an appointment with my liver specialist for my 6-monthly check-up.
Consequently, my running mileage was only between 46-97 km per week. While I am not happy about this, I am content that I did the best I could, considering the circumstances. Besides, I think it’s good to reduce my running volume and focus more on strength training again during the transition months of November and December.
I started kettlebell training again in November and have been more consistent throughout the month. Now the challenge is to keep it in my training plan.
I have also been thinking again about getting my SFG I certification. Due to Covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021, I had to postpone the project. And in 2022, I spent most of my little free time running instead of preparing for this challenging certification.
Luckily the gastroscopy and colonoscopy didn’t show any damage to my gut. My liver enzymes, however, are still elevated. The doctor can not explain it since my liver looks healthy otherwise. For now, I shall continue the 6-monthly check-ups. He also advised me to eat a low-fat diet with sufficient protein and see if it has a positive effect.
I have since reduced my fat intake and increased my carbohydrate intake. In December, I will do a 30-day trial of a high-carb, low-fat, plant-based diet. Read this article to find out more, and make sure to follow me on Instagram for updates.
Building my business
I have returned to writing more in 2022. However, I still needed to work on consistency. And while I managed to publish something every month, I have never reached my target number of articles.
In November, my story count was relatively low again, mainly due to the health challenges I faced this month. However, I did publish something, and I took the time to write poetry again and am incredibly proud of this.
Why?
Because I am writing for the pleasure and enjoyment of it. I write because words fascinate me.
I write because I love who I am when I write.
Of course, it is nice to make money from writing and I want to increase my writing income. However, I don’t want to focus so much on making money that I lose my motivation to write.
In November, I also took some time to create a business strategy for 2023 and learn the basics of creating on Youtube.
I am proud that I finally took the leap and set up a channel. So far, a video has yet to be uploaded, but I have been thinking about starting a channel for a few months now, and it was time to take the first step.
Preparing to move in with my girlfriend
On November 8th, my girlfriend and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary. And the longer we are together, the more confident I am that she is the right one for me. I still can not express how blessed I feel that I met her after I had been single for 15 years.
However, our first attempt at living together was not all roses and rainbows. Instead, it showed us our strengths and weaknesses as a couple, and we clearly understood what each of us needed.
Accordingly, we created a plan for our future living together. Our difficulties in the summer proved once more that open and honest communication is the basis for our strong relationship. However, since I have never lived with one of my romantic partners, it’s quite a change for me and I still need to learn to express my needs more clearly and to set boundaries.
But I have the most understanding and patient partner I could wish for and I am confident we will continue to evolve and grow as a couple.
Preparing to quit my job
After trying for almost 2 years to build my business on the side, while also working a high-stress corporate job and pursuing ambitious ultrarunning goals, I finally had to admit that I could not do it all.
Especially not if I also wanted to be my girlfriend’s loving and caring partner.
My body was also giving me clear signals with the worsening gut issues and frequent colds. It’s very unusual for me to get sick that often. In fact, for the past 5 years, I have taken 3 days of sick leave.
And while I enjoyed my first years in the company, I never intended to stay that long. I have always seen it as a means to earn money while building my business.
Now it’s time to make the jump and go all in.
Since my side hustle does not provide a full-time income, I decided to work part-time as a trainer in a local gym. This way, I can focus entirely on doing what I love while at the same time having a fixed income that I can rely on while I grow my business further.
Moving forward
I pondered my life and my life’s choices a lot during November. I knew that I wasn’t happy with the career path I was on and that I had been putting off doing what I loved for too long.
In December, I will focus on writing more and uploading my first videos on Youtube. I plan to get back into a more focused training regime again and increase my running mileage.
What I will definitely not do is set new year’s resolutions. I have already decided on my theme for the year 2023 – it is “growth.”
I have set ambitious goals for the new year, and December will be the month when I lay the foundation for the breakthrough year 2023 😁 .